Data capture system and method, and memory controllers and devices

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of a data capture system and method may be used in a variety of devices, such as in memory controllers and memory devices. The data capture system and method may generate a first set of periodic signals and a second set of periodic signals that differs from the first set. Either the first set of periodic signals or the second set of periodic signals may be selected and used to generate a set of data capture signals. The selection of either the first set or the second set may be made on the basis of the number of serial data digits in a previously captured burst of data. The data capture signals may then be used to capture a burst of serial data digits.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/438,634, filed Apr. 8, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/565,655, filed Sep. 23, 2009, issued as U.S.Pat. No. 8,164,975 on Apr. 24, 2012. These applications and patent areincorporated herein by reference, in their entirety, for any purpose.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of this invention relate to digital integrated circuits,and, more particularly, to systems and methods for correctly capturingserial data bursts in an integrated circuit device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Digital data is often coupled to integrated circuit devices, such asmemory devices, in the form of one or more bursts of serial data. Forexample, memory devices may have 4 or 8 data bus terminals, each ofwhich transmits or receives a specific number of data bits at the sametime the other data bus terminals transmit or receive correspondingbits. For example, a first set of 8 write data bits may be applied tothe 8 data bus terminals in parallel, followed by a second set of 8bits, and so forth, until an eighth and final set of 8 write data bitshave been applied to the data bus terminals.

As each burst of 8 write data bits is applied to the data bus terminals,the data bits are stored in respective latches responsive to a DQSsignal, which is normally applied to the memory device along with thewrite data. Each bit of the write data may be applied to the data busterminals at the same frequency as, and in synchronism with, a systemclock signal. The transitions of the DQS signal are normally offset 90degrees from the system clock signal so that the transitions of the DQSsignal occur midway between the transitions of the system clock, and canbe used to capture the write data in the memory device.

As the data bandwidth of memory devices has continued to increase, theneed to transfer data at a faster rate has resulted in the developmentof memory devices that apply more than one write data bit to each databus terminal during each period of the system clock signal. For example,memory devices known as double data rate (“DDR”) devices may capturewrite data on both the rising and falling edge transitions of the DQSsignal. As a result, two write data bits can be captured at each databus terminal during each period of the system clock signal.

Although the use of DDR techniques has been successful in significantlyincreasing the data bandwidth of memory devices, the need exists totransfer data at rates that are even faster than the rate at which datacan be received and transmitted by DDR memory devices. As a result, DDR2and DDR3 memory devices have been developed that receive and transmitdata at even faster speeds. However, as clock speeds and resulting datarates have increased, the “data eye” during which the write data can beproperly captured by a DQS signal transmitted to a memory device alongwith the write data has continued to decrease, thus making it moredifficult to properly capture write data. One approach that has beenproposed is to frequency divide the DQS signal and then generatemultiple phases of the frequency-divided signal, such as 4 phases togenerate DQS0-3 signals.

In operation of a memory device, write data capture may begin a specificlatency period after a write command has been applied to a memory devicein synchronism with the system clock signal. For example, the latencymay be 6 transitions of the system clock signal. After the latencyperiod has expired, a write signal may become active in synchronism withthe system clock signal. Write data capture may then begin on the firstrising edge of the DQS0-3 signal following the write signal becomingactive. The first rising edge of one of the DQS0-3 signals is notnecessarily a rising edge of the DQS0 signal. Instead, any one of thefour DQS signals can be the first to transition high after the writesignal becomes active. As a result, the first data bit that is capturedin the memory device may be other than the DQ0 bit.

Despite the data bandwidth increases resulting from the transition fromDDR to DDR2 and from DDR2 to DDR3, the need exists for still higher databandwidths. Yet, significant problems can be encountered in attemptingto transfer data at a faster rate, some of which are discussed below.Furthermore, although this discussion of the need to increase databandwidth has been in the context of memory devices, a similar needexists for other types of digital electronic devices. Thus, there is aneed for a technique for transferring data at an even faster rate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a timing diagram illustrating how serial data bits may becaptured by respective phases of a frequency divided strobe signal.

FIG. 2 is a timing diagram showing signals that may be present in a datacapture system.

FIG. 3 is a timing diagram showing other signals that may be present ina data capture system.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a data capture system according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a timing diagram showing signals that are present in a datacapture system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a memory device using anembodiment of a data capture system.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a memory system using amemory controller containing an embodiment of a data capture system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One approach to increasing the data bandwidth beyond that achieved byDDR3 is to use data strobe signals having a higher frequency than thesystem clock frequency. For example, if the DQS signal had twice thefrequency of the system clock signal, then 4 write data bits could beapplied to each data bus terminal during each period of the system clocksignal. Memory devices using this technique may be referred to as DDR4memory devices. However, increases in the frequency of system clocksignals may result in the “data eye” becoming too short to accuratelycapture the write data bits. Therefore, increasing system clockfrequencies may make it difficult or impossible to accurately capturewrite data.

One approach to allowing use of DQS signals that are twice the frequencyof the system clock signal may be used in DDR4 memory devices to dividethe DQS signals by 2 and then generate 4 phases of the resulting halffrequency signal. This approach results in 4 PH0-3 signals having thesame frequency as the system clock signal, and it therefore provides thesame internal “data eye” as the DQS signals in DDR3 memory devices.However, as shown in FIG. 1, each transition of the double frequency DQSsignal still coincides with the rising edge of one of the PH0-3 signalsso that a data bit is captured during each transition of the DQS signal.

Although using 4 PH0-3 signals having half the frequency of the DQSsignal may reduce the problem of an excessively short “data eye,” it cancreate other problems. With reference to FIG. 2, capturing 64 bits ofwrite data (i.e., 8 bits at each of 8 data bus terminals) followed bycapturing another 64 bits of write data does not result in any problembecause the PH0 signal will capture the first bit DQ0 of the secondburst of 8-bits immediately after the PH3 signal captures the seventhbit DQ7 of the first burst of 8-bits. Thus the PH0-3 signals cancorrectly store the DQ0-7 bits of the second burst in a latch after theDQ0-7 bits of the first burst have been stored in the latch.

Although FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the lack of any problems when writedata are applied to the data bus terminals in serial bursts of 4 bitsand multiples of 4 bits, such as 8 data bits, a problem may exist ifwrite data are applied to the data bus terminals in serial bursts ofother than 4 bits. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, some memory devicesmay receive write data in bursts of either 8 write data bits applied toeach data bus terminal or 10 write data bits applied to each data busterminal. When 10 write data bits are applied to each data bus terminal,the first 4 bits may be captured during the first system clock period,and the second 4 bits may be captured during the second system clockperiod. However, 4 write data bits may also be captured during the thirdsystem clock period even though the first two of these captured bits arethe last two bits of the first burst of write data bits, and the lasttwo of these captured bits are the first two bits of the second burst ofwrite data bits. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the first rising edge ofthe PH0 signal captures the DQ0 bit at the start of the period when thewrite signal is active and stores the data bit in the DQ0 bit locationof the latch. Similarly, the third rising edge of the PH1 signalcaptures the DQ9 bit and correctly stores it in a DQ9 bit location ofthe latch just before the DQ0 bit for the next burst of write data areapplied to the respective data bus terminals. As a result, the risingedge of the PH2 signal that immediately follows the rising edge of thePH1 signal will capture the DQ0 bit of the next burst of data andimproperly store the data in the DQ2 bit location of the latch. Thissituation may present a problem since the location of the latch (notshown) that should store the DQ2 bit will then be storing the DQ0 bit.Additionally, the bit location of the latch that should store the DQ3bit will instead store the DQ1 bit, the bit location of the latch thatshould store the DQ4 bit will instead store the DQ2 bit, and so forth.

One example of a system 100 for solving this problem is illustrated inFIG. 4. The system 100 includes a sequencer 110 that receives the DQSsignal and divides the DQS signal by two and generates signals PH0-3that are at four phases of the divided signal. However, the sequencer110 also generates signals PH0-3* that are at four phases of thecomplement of the PH0-3 signals, respectively. The sequencer 100 appliesboth the PH0-3 and the PH0-3* signals to a selector 120. The selector120 under control of a controller 124 selects either the PH0-3 or thePH0-3* signals, and generates write latch signals W0-3 corresponding tothe selected signals. In the event a burst of 10 data bits is applied toeach of the eight data bus terminals, the 120 selector initially appliesW0-3 signals corresponding to the PH0-3 signals to each of a set ofeight 10-bit write latches 130 a-h. After the first 10 bits have beencaptured from each data bus terminal DQ, the selector 120 applies W0-3signals corresponding to the PH0-3* signals to the latches 130 a-h tocapture the data in the next 8-bit or 10-bit burst. Thus, the first bitof the first burst is captured as the first bit location and is outputas bit DIN<0> in each of the latches 130 a-h, and the first bit of thesecond burst is also correctly captured as the first bit location and isoutput as bit DIN<0> in each of the latches 130 a-h. If the selector 120did not switch from using the PH0-3 signals to using the PH0-3* signalsto generate the W0-3 signals, the first bit of the second burst would beincorrectly captured at the third bit location and it would be output asbit DIN<2> in each of the latches 130 a-h.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first rising edge of the W0 signal correspondingto PH0 signal captures the first bit DO of the first burst of 10 databits, and the third rising edge of the W1 signal corresponding to thePH1 signal captures the last bit D9 of the first burst of 10 data bits.The selector 120 then selects the PH0-3* signals for use as the W0-3signals at a time designated by the line SW in FIG. 5. The first risingedge of the W0 signal corresponding to PH0* signal therefore capturesthe first bit DO of the second burst of 10 data bits, and the thirdrising edge of the W1 signal corresponding to the PH1* signal capturesthe last bit D9 of the second burst of 10 data bits. Thus, unlike in theexample shown in FIG. 3, since the first bit DO of the second burst of10 data bits is captured by the PH0* signal, it is stored in the correctlocation in the latch for receiving the DO bit.

Although the principle embodied in the data capture system 100 isillustrated with each of the latches 130 a-h configured to capture 10data bits using 4 data capture signals having respective phases, it canbe generalized to any data capture system in which latches areconfigured to capture M data bits using N data capture signals havingrespective phases, where M and N are each a positive integer. If M/N isan integer, then it may not be necessary for the controller 124 togenerate a control signal that causes the selector 120 to switch fromselecting one of the sets of periodic signals PH0-3 or PH0-30* to theother of the sets of periodic signals PH0-3* or PH0-3, respectively.However, if M/N is not an integer, then it may be necessary for theselector 120 to switch from selecting one set of periodic signals to theother so that the first bit of the subsequent burst will be correctlystored in the first location in the respective latch 130.

The data capture system 100 or a data capture system according to someother embodiment may be used in a wide variety of applications. Forexample, data capture system embodiments may be used in data inputbuffers, such as data input buffers used in a memory device as shown inFIG. 6. The memory device may be a conventional double data rate dynamicrandom access memory (“DDR DRAM”) 200 including a command decoder 204for controlling its operation responsive to high-level command signalsreceived on a control bus 206. The command decoder 204 may generate asequence of command signals responsive to the high level command signalsto carry out the function (e.g., a read or a write) designated by eachof the high level command signals. The DDR DRAM may also include a clockgenerator 208 configured to generate a system clock signal CLK.

The DDR DRAM 200 may include an address register 212 that may receiverow addresses and column addresses through an address bus 214. Theaddress bus 214 may be coupled to a memory controller (not shown in FIG.6). A row address may first be received by the address register 212 andapplied to a row address multiplexer 218. The row address multiplexer218 may couple the row address to a number of components associated witheither of two memory banks 220, 222 depending upon the state of a bankaddress bit forming part of the row address. A respective row addresslatch 226 may be associated with each of the memory banks 220, 222 forstoring the row address. A row decoder 228 may decode the row addressand apply corresponding signals to one of the banks 220 or 222. The rowaddress multiplexer 218 may also couple row addresses to the row addresslatches 226 for the purpose of refreshing the memory cells in the banks220, 222. The row addresses may be generated for refresh purposes by arefresh counter 230, which may be controlled by a refresh controller232. The refresh controller 232 may, in turn, be controlled by thecommand decoder 204.

After the row address has been applied to the address register 212 andstored in one of the row address latches 226, a column address may beapplied to the address register 212. The address register 212 may couplethe column address to a column address latch 240. Depending on theoperating mode of the DDR DRAM 200, the column address may be eithercoupled through a burst counter 242 to a column address buffer 244, orto the burst counter 242, which may apply a sequence of column addressesto the column address buffer 244 starting at the column address outputby the address register 212. In either case, the column address buffer244 may apply a column address to a column decoder 248.

Data to be read from one of the banks 220, 222 may be coupled inparallel form to column circuitry 250, 252, which may include senseamplifiers, I/O gating, DQM &WPB mask logic, block write col/byte masklogic for one of the arrays 220, 222, respectively. The data bitsdeveloped by the sense amplifiers may then be coupled in parallel formto a data output buffer 256. The data output buffer 256 may include aserializer 268 configured to convert a plurality of sets of paralleldata bits to corresponding bursts of serial data bits, and to apply eachburst of serial data bits to each of several data bit terminals 258. Theserializer 268 may also receive the CLK signal from the clock generator208 for serializing the read data. Data to be written to one of thearrays 220, 222 may be coupled from each of the data bus terminals 258to the data input buffer 260 in serial form. The data input buffer 260may capture the serial input data using a data capture system 262, whichmay be the data capture system 100 or a data capture system according toanother embodiment. The data capture system 262 also receives anexternally applied DQS signal. The serial write data applied to each ofthe data bit terminals 258 is thus converted to a set of correspondingparallel data to be coupled to the banks 220, 222 in parallel form.

An embodiment of a memory system 300 is shown in FIG. 7. The memorysystem 300 includes a memory device 310, which may be the memory device200 shown in FIG. 6, a memory device according to some other embodimentor a conventional memory device. The memory device 310 may be coupledthrough a command bus 320, address bus 330 and data bus 340 to a memorycontroller 350. The memory controller 350 may include a command circuit354 configured to output memory commands, and an addressing circuit 356configured to output memory addresses. The memory controller 350 mayalso include an output buffer 360 configured to output write data to thedata bus 340, and a data input buffer 370 configured to receive readdata from the data bus 340. The data input buffer 370 may include a readdata capture system 380 configured to capture a burst of serial readdata bits at each of a plurality of terminals of the data bus 340. Theread data capture system 380, which may also receive an externallyapplied DQS signal, may be the data capture system 100 or a data capturesystem according to another embodiment.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to thedisclosed embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from theinvention. For example, the term “bit” is used herein to describe asingle binary digit. However, in other embodiments digits other thanbinary digits may be used. Such modifications are well within the skillof those ordinarily skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention isnot limited except as by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a sequencer configured to providea plurality of phase signals having a phase relative to a clock signal;and a selector coupled to the sequencer and configured to receive theplurality of phase signals, the selector further configured to provide Ndata capture signals corresponding to at least some of the plurality ofphase signals to capture M bits of data, wherein M/N is a non-integervalue.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality oflatches.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the plurality of latchesis configured to capture the M bits of data.
 4. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the M bits of data comprise a burst.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the selector is further configured to receive a controlsignal from a controller, wherein the control signal is configured tocause the selector to selectively provide the N capture data signalscorresponding to at least some of the plurality of phase signalsresponsive to M/N being a non-integer value.
 6. The apparatus of claim5, wherein the control signal is configured to ensure that respective Mbits of data are captured by a plurality of respective correctcorresponding latches.
 7. A method, comprising: receiving from asequencer a plurality of phase signals having a phase relative to aclock signal; providing by a selector N data capture signals to captureM bits of data, the N data capture signals corresponding to at leastsome of the plurality of phase signals; and capturing the M bits of dataresponsive to the N data capture signals, wherein M/N is a non-integervalue.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising generating a controlsignal responsive to M/N being a non-integer value, wherein the N datacapture signals corresponding to at least some of the plurality of phasesignals are selectively provided responsive to the control signal. 9.The method of claim 7, wherein providing N data capture signalscomprises switching from the N data capture signals corresponding to afirst set of the plurality of phase signals to the N data capturesignals corresponding to a second set of the plurality of phase signalsresponsive to M/N being a non-integer value.
 10. The method of claim 7,wherein capturing the M bits of data further comprises latchingrespective M bits of data to respective correct corresponding latches.11. The method of claim 7, wherein capturing the M bits of data furthercomprises capturing a burst of the M bits of data.
 12. An apparatus,comprising: a plurality of latches configured to capture data responsiveto a number of data capture signals; and a circuit coupled to thelatches and configured to provide the number of data capture signals,wherein the number of data capture signals correspond to a firstplurality of phase signals for first data having a number of bits andthe number of data capture signals correspond to a second plurality ofphase signals for second data having the number of bits.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of latches are configuredto capture data responsive to a rising edge of the data capture signals.14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuit is responsive to aratio of the number of bits to the number of data capture signals. 15.The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first data comprises a firstburst of data bits, and wherein the second data comprises a second burstof data bits.
 16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitcomprises: a sequencer configured to provide the first plurality ofphase signals and provide the second plurality of phase signals; aselector coupled to the sequencer and configured to select between usingthe first plurality of phase signals or the second plurality of phasesignals to generate the number of data capture signals; and a controllercoupled to the sequencer and the selector, the controller configured toprovide a control signal to the selector to select between using thefirst or second pluralities of phase signals.
 17. The apparatus of claim16, wherein the first plurality of phase signals includes four phasesignals each having a different phase relationship to a clock signal.18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second plurality of phasesignals includes four phase signals each having a different phaserelationship to the clock signal.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16, whereinthe first plurality and the second plurality of phase signals are basedat least in part on a data strobe signal.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19,wherein the first plurality and the second plurality of phase signalsare based on a division of the data strobe signal resulting in phasesignals.